Wafer level packaging using flip chip mounting

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor packaged device, and method of packaging that incorporates the formation of cavities about electronic devices during the packaging process. In one example, the device package includes a first substrate having a first recess formed therein, a second substrate having a second recess formed therein, and an electronic device mounted in the first recess. The first and second substrates are joined together with the first and second recesses substantially overlying one another so as to form a cavity around the electronic device.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 60/991,469, entitled “WAFER LEVEL PACKAGING USING FLIP CHIPMOUNTING,” filed on Nov. 30, 2007, which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates generally to semiconductor devices, andmethods for fabricating the same. More particularly, at least someembodiments are directed to flip chip semiconductor packages andpackaging processes that incorporate cavities around electronic devices.

2. Discussion of Related Art

Radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) are widely used in wirelessdevices, such as cellular telephones, laptops, personal digitalassistants, etc. RFICs combine transmission lines, matching networks,and discrete components, such as inductors, resistors, capacitors, andtransistors, on an integration media to provide a subsystem capable oftransmitting and receiving high frequency signals, for example, in arange of from about 0.1 to about 100 Gigahertz (GHz). Packaging of RFICsis distinctly different from packaging of more conventional integratedcircuits (ICs) due to the fact that the package is often part of the RFcircuit, and because the complex RF electrical and/or magnetic fields ofthe RFIC can interact with any nearby insulators and conductors. To meetgrowing demands in the wireless industry, RFIC packaging developmentseeks to provide smaller, lower cost, higher performance devices thatcan accommodate multi-die RF modules while providing high reliabilityand using lead-free solder and other “green” materials. The single chippackage, in which single- or multi-die RFICs are individually packaged,is a direct solution to the small size and low cost requirements ofRFICs, and is currently used for most RFICs.

Micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) enable controlled conversionsbetween micro-scale mechanical motion and specified electrical signals,for example, with specified frequencies. MEMS are becoming widely usedin RFICs. Based on mechanical movements, RF MEMS can achieve excellentsignal quality factors for RF band filters, including surface acousticwave (SAW) filters, bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filters, and high frequencyRF switches. SAW filters, for example, convert electrical signals into amechanical wave that is delayed as it propagates across a piezoelectriccrystal substrate before being converted back into an electrical signal.BAW filters use volume bulk movement to achieve a specific desiredresonance, and in RF switches, electrical signals are used to controlmovement of a micro-electrode to turn the switch ON or OFF. Current MEMStechnologies have evolved from semiconductor fabrication processing.However, the mechanical motion uniquely associated with MEMS demandsvery different packaging constructions and requirements fromconventional semiconductor ICs. In particular, inside all MEMS ICs, somematerials must move freely, without interference, and therefore, MEMSICs are typically “capped” to form a small vacuum or air cavity aroundthe moving materials to protect them while permitting their movements.

One example of a package for an RF MEMS device, developed by InfineonTechnologies, AG, Milpitas, Calif., uses a complex passivation structureto create an air cavity around the resonator area of a SAW/BAW filterdie. A photolithographic polymer is used to generate a maze structureforming a cavity for each resonator. Reverse wire bonds are used to makethe interconnections between the filter die and substrate. A generallyflat silicon lid with B-stage adhesive is attached on top of the mazestructure to “cap” the ICs and complete the enclosed cavities. Thispackage has been a relatively effective MEMS package as it uses standarddie attach and wirebonding assembly technologies. However, it limitspackage and/or die size reduction, and the additional process steps ofmaze patterning and lid attachment add considerable complexity and costto the package, which reduces package efficiency and increases the costof the overall product in which it is used.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

At least some aspects and embodiments are directed to a semiconductorpackage and packaging process that provide the cavities required by MEMSor other devices without the complexity of conventional assembly andpackaging processes.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided apackage for electronic devices. The package may comprise a firstsubstrate comprising a first recess defined in a first surface of thefirst substrate and a second substrate comprising a second recessdefined in a second surface of the second substrate. The first surfaceof the first substrate is joined to the second surface of the secondsubstrate. The first recess substantially overlies the second recess todefine a cavity formed by the first recess and the second recess.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first recesscoextensively overlies the second recess. According to anotherembodiment of the present invention, the package further comprises aplurality of additional recesses defined in the second surface of thesecond substrate, and the first recess substantially overlies the secondrecess and the plurality of additional recesses. According to a furtherembodiment of the present invention, the package further comprises afirst electronic device disposed within the cavity. The first electronicdevice may be flip-chip mounted to the first substrate and may comprisea MEMS device. In one example, the first substrate, the secondsubstrate, or both comprise a semiconductor material. In anotherexample, a height of the package is less than about 300 micrometers.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided amethod of manufacturing a packaged electronic device. The method maycomprise forming a first recess in a first substrate, forming a secondrecess in a second substrate, and attaching the first substrate to thesecond substrate such that first recess and the second recesssubstantially overly one another so as to define a cavity.

Still other aspects, embodiments, and advantages of these exemplaryaspects and embodiments, are discussed in detail below. Moreover, it isto be understood that both the foregoing information and the followingdetailed description are merely illustrative examples of various aspectsand embodiments, and are intended to provide an overview or frameworkfor understanding the nature and character of the claimed aspects andembodiments. The accompanying drawings are included to provideillustration and a further understanding of the various aspects andembodiments, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of thisspecification. The drawings, together with the remainder of thespecification, serve to explain principles and operations of thedescribed and claimed aspects and embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Various aspects of at least one embodiment are discussed below withreference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, which are notintended to be drawn to scale, each identical or nearly identicalcomponent that is illustrated in various drawings is represented by alike numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may belabeled in every drawing. The drawings are provided for the purposes ofillustration and explanation, and are not intended as a definition ofthe limits of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of an RFIC device attached to a baseof a device package, according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional diagram of one example of a cap wafer for adevice package, according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional diagram of one example of a device packageincluding a cavity and an RFIC device attached to the base of thecavity, according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a base of one example of a device packageaccording to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 5 a is a cross-sectional diagram of an example of device packagehaving a planar base substrate and a cap substrate including a recess;

FIG. 5 b is a cross-sectional diagram of an example of device packagehaving a planar base substrate and a cap substrate including a recesswith vias extending through the cap substrate;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of one example of a method of producing a devicepackage according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional diagram of one example of a pair of RFICdevices mounted in a side by side configuration in the cavity of adevice package according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional diagram of one example of a pair of RFICdevices mounted in a stacked configuration in the cavity of a devicepackage according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional diagram of another example of a pair of RFICdevices mounted in a side by side configuration in the cavity of adevice package according to further aspects of the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional diagram of another example of a pair ofRFIC devices mounted in a side by side configuration in two sub-cavitiesof a device package according to further aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, RFICs comprising MEMS devices can require, orgreatly benefit from, a cavity disposed between the MEMS device (ordevices) and the substrate. However, conventional methods of packagingdevices with cavities require complex assembly processes and/or resultin relatively large overall package sizes.

Accordingly, methods of packaging according to embodiments of thepresent invention may facilitate fast, simple, low-cost production ofpackaged electronic devices incorporating cavities, with relativelysmall overall package dimensions. In addition, as discussed furtherbelow, multiple devices may be combined in one package to form apackaged module. The use of modules incorporating multiple devicesallows for a larger number of devices to be mounted in a given area of acircuit board of a product due to the smaller size of a single modulepackage compared to two or more individually packaged devices, and mayalso allow for improved overall product performance and/or lower heatproduction due to the reduced distance that current must flow betweenadjacent devices.

It is to be appreciated that embodiments of the methods and apparatusesdiscussed herein are not limited in application to the details ofconstruction and the arrangement of components set forth in thefollowing description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Themethods and apparatuses are capable of implementation in otherembodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in variousways. Examples of specific implementations are provided herein forillustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. Inparticular, acts, elements, and features discussed in connection withany one or more embodiments are not intended to be excluded from asimilar role in any other embodiments. Any references to front and back,left and right, top and bottom, and upper and lower are intended forconvenience of description, not to limit the present systems and methodsor their components to any one positional or spatial orientation. Also,the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use herein of“including,” “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” andvariations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter andequivalents thereof as well as additional items. The term “electronicdevice” is to be understood as encompassing semiconductor die, RFdevices, MEMS devices, and other electrical components that may bepackaged in a package according to embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a cross-sectional view of oneexample of a substrate 102 having an electronic device 100 attachedthereto, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Thesubstrate 102 may comprise any suitable material, such as, but notlimited to, a semiconductor material, for example, silicon or galliumarsenide (GaAs), glass, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment,substrate 102 has a first surface 104, a second (exterior) surface 106,a recessed surface 108, and tapered surfaces 110 positioned betweensurfaces 104 and 108. The surfaces 108 and 110 define a base recess 112.The base recess 112 may be formed by a chemical etching process such asthose well known in the art of semiconductor device fabrication, and byothers, such as, for example, reactive ion etching (RIE),micromachining, etc. It is to be appreciated that the angle of taper ofthe surfaces 110 may vary depending on the material of the substrate102, the process used to form the base recess 112, and other factors.Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the example illustrated inFIG. 1. In some embodiments, any or all of the substrate surfaces 104,106, 108 and 110 may be planar or nearly so. Substrate 102 has a totalheight, h1.

According to one embodiment, electronic device 100 is attached to bondpads 114 disposed on the recessed surface 108 of the substrate 102, asshown in FIG. 1. The electronic device may be at least partiallycontained within the base recess 112. In one example, the electronicdevice 100 may be bonded to the bond pads 114 using a flip chip bondingmethod, as is widely used for RFICs. However, it is to be appreciatedthat the invention is not limited to flip chip packaging, and theelectronic device may instead be connected to the bond pads 114 usingconventional wire bonding or other techniques. As known to those skilledin the art, flip chip mounting includes providing a conductive “bump”116 placed directly on the surface the electronic device 100. The bumpedelectronic device 100 is then “flipped over” and placed face down on thesubstrate 102, with the bumps 116 connecting the electronic device 100directly to the bond pads 114.

In one example, a standard gold-to-gold interconnect (GGI) bondingprocess can be used. GGI is a thermosonic process by which gold bumpsand gold bond pads are joined together by heat and ultrasonic powerunder a pressure head, using a machine called a GGI bonder. In thiscase, the bumps 116 and bond pads 114 are made of gold, or at least goldplated. The thermosonic process connection is made by solid-phasebonding between the two gold layers. Diffusion of gold (micro-welding)under load, and ultrasonic power, creates the gold-to-gold connection asa bond layer that is void-free and monolithic. GGI bonding is arelatively low cost technology, and is also a fluxless bonding method,which is environmentally friendly and minimizes contamination of thedevices. In another example of a flip chip bonding method that can beused to bond the electronic device 100 to the substrate 102, the bumpsmay be copper pillar bumps, and bonding may be achieved using athermosonic process such as that described in commonly-owned andco-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/957,730 filed Dec. 17,2007, entitled “Thermal Mechanical Flip Chip Bonding,” which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety.

Still referring to FIG. 1, substrate 102 may also comprise a number ofvias 118 which include a metallization providing electricalcommunication between the bond pads 114 and external contact pads 120.The external contact pads 120 may be used to connect the completedpackage to an external substrate or printed circuit board, usingtechniques well known in the art. The vias 118 thus provide a signalpath to and from the electronic device 100 contained within thecompleted package.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is illustrated an example of cap substrate202 that can be coupled to the substrate 102 to form a device packageaccording to aspects of the invention. Cap substrate 102 may compriseany suitable material such as, for example, a semiconductor material(e.g., silicon or GaAs) or glass. Similar to substrate 102, capsubstrate 202 may comprise a first surface 204, a second surface 206, arecessed surface 208, and tapered surfaces 210 between surfaces 204 and208. The surfaces 208 and 210 define a cap recess 212, which may beformed using any suitable technique, as discussed above with referenceto substrate 102. It is to be appreciated that the angle of taper of thesurfaces 210 may vary depending on the material of the substrate 202,the process used to form the cap recess 212, and other factors.Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the example illustrated inFIG. 2. Cap substrate 202 has a total height h2.

According to one embodiment, substrate 202 is attached to substrate 102to form a package that encloses electronic device 100, as is illustratedin FIG. 3. In one example, substrates 102 and 202 are joined alongsurfaces 104 and 204 to form a cavity 220 defined by base recess 112 andcap recess 212. The cavity 220 substantially encloses the electronicdevice 100. The size and depth of the recesses 112, 212 may becontrolled to provide a spacing, d, between a surface 101 of device 100and the cap substrate 202, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The cap substrate 202 may be joined to base substrate 102 using anysuitable bonding procedure and/or adhesive. For example, in oneembodiment a layer of bonding material may be disposed on one or both ofsubstrates 102 and 202 to facilitate bonding of the two substratestogether. Referring to FIG. 4, there is illustrated a plan view ofsubstrate 102 (without an electronic device disposed thereon) includinga layer of bonding material 122 disposed around a perimeter of the baserecess 112. Bonding material 122 may comprise any of a number ofsuitable materials including, for example, glue, solder, gold or othermetals, epoxy, etc. Bonding of the cap substrate 202 and the basesubstrate 102 to one another using any of these materials may beaccomplished using methods well known in the art. In another example,bonding material 122 may comprise a layer of glass, in which case basesubstrate 102 and cap substrate 202 may be joined by an anodic bondingprocess. Alternatively, anodic bonding may also be used if the capsubstrate 202 is formed of glass, Pyrex™, or a similar material, asdiscussed above.

The utilization of a base substrate 102 and a cap substrate 202, bothwith recesses formed therein as discussed above, may allow for theformation of a cavity-containing device package with smaller overalllength and width dimensions than may be accomplished by using aconventional planar base substrate. This size reduction may be achievedbecause the height of the electronic device 100 can be accommodated byboth recesses 112, 212, as illustrated in FIG. 3. This concept may bebetter understood with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5 a.

Referring to FIG. 5 a, there is illustrated one example of a devicepackage including a planar base substrate 102′, and a cap substrate 202′with a recess 112′. The die 100′ is of the same dimensions as die 100illustrated in FIG. 3, and the distance, d, between device 100 and capsubstrate 202 in FIG. 3 is the same as that between device 100′ and theflat surface 108′ of cap substrate 202′ in FIG. 5 a. Similarly, thewidth w1 of the surfaces 104 and 104′ is the same for the packagesillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5 a, and the angle of inclination of thesurfaces 110, 110′ relative to corresponding surfaces 104, 104′ and 108,108′ is also the same for both packages. As can be seen from FIG. 3 andFIG. 5 a, for the same given dimensions of the dies and substratesdiscussed above, the use of a base substrate 102 with a recess,according to aspects of the invention, instead of a conventional planarbase substrate 102′ may allow for a reduced height, h2, of cap substrate202 compared to the height, h4, of the cap substrate 202′ (i.e., h2<h4).Depending on the height, h3, required for the planar base substrate102′, and the thickness of the “membrane” portion 218 (depicted in FIG.2) of the cap substrate 202 as well as the corresponding membraneportion of the base substrate 102, the reduction in height, h2, of thecap substrate 202 may result in a decrease in the height of the overallpackage as well (i.e., in some instances h1+h2<h3+h4). In addition, forany given angle of inclination of surfaces 110, 110′ (other thanvertical), reducing the height, h2, of the cap substrate 202 results ina decrease in the overall width, W, of the base substrate (i.e., W<W′),and thus of the entire device package.

Illustrated in FIG. 5 b is an example of a device package similar tothat illustrated in FIG. 5 a, but where the external electrical contactpads 120′ are positioned on the cap substrate 202″, rather than on theplanar base substrate 102″. The external contact pads 120′ are incontact with the device 100′ by way of vias 118′ passing through the capsubstrate 202″ and by metallization lines 122. It can be observed thatfor a given device 100′ size and distance d between device 100′ and capsubstrate 202″, dimension w2 of FIG. 5 b may be increased relative todimension w1 of FIG. 5 a and dimension W″ of FIG. 5 b may be increasedrelative to dimension W′ of FIG. 5 a in order to allow sufficient spacefor vias 118′. In some examples, the device package of FIG. 5 b is thuseven larger than that of FIG. 5 a for a given die 100′ and die-to-capsubstrate spacing d.

Thus, the device package including recesses in both the cap and basesubstrates according to aspects and embodiments of the present inventionmay provide the advantage of a smaller overall package size verses acomparable package with a planar base or cap substrate. In one example,the height of the device package according to aspects of the inventionis less than about 300 micrometers. Furthermore, the package containingthe cavity can be manufactured using a simple process flow and wellestablished techniques, without the complexity associated with someconventional cavity-forming processes discussed above.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is illustrated a flow diagram of one exampleof a method of manufacturing a device package incorporating a cavity,according to aspects of the invention. In a first step 300, base recessor recesses 112 may be formed in the substrate 102, using techniquessuch as, for example, chemical or ion etching, as discussed above.According to one embodiment, processing of the substrate 102 to form thebase recess or recesses 112 may be done at the wafer level, rather thanat the individual device level. For example, a base substrate wafer,such as a 4 inch, 6 inch, or 8 inch diameter GaAs or silicon wafer, maybe processed in step 300 to form multiple recesses 112. In one example,a mask, such as a photolithographic mask, may be used to define therecess areas on the wafer and therefore, multiple recesses with the sameor different dimensions may be formed in a single step 300.

In one embodiment, step 300 may include forming the recesses in both abase substrate wafer and a cap substrate wafer. In some examples, thebase substrate 102 and cap substrate 202, and the recesses 112, 212formed therein, may be substantially identical. Thus, the substrates102, 202 and recesses 112, 212 may be formed during the same step 300.In one example, the same wafer may be processed and then singulated(step 316) to form multiple base substrates 102 (with base recesses 112)and cap substrates 202 (with cap recesses 212), and the packages may beindividually assembled. In other examples, however, it may be currentlypreferable to perform several process steps (including, for example,attaching the electronic devices 100 to the base substrates 102 andjoining the cap substrates 202 to the base substrates 102) at the waferlevel. Therefore, it may be currently preferable or convenient to useseparate base substrate wafers and cap substrate wafers. Accordingly, inone embodiment, the method of manufacturing the device packages mayinclude a step 302 of forming multiple cap recesses 212 in a capsubstrate wafer.

Still referring to FIG. 6, a next step 304 may include furtherprocessing the base substrate wafer to form vias 118 and bond pads 114in the base recesses 112 (see FIG. 1) of the base substrate wafer. Anelectronic device 100 may then be mounted on the bond pads (step 306)and attached to the bond pads, for example using one of the flip chipbonding methods discussed above.

According to one embodiment, more than one electronic device 100 may beincorporated within a single package to provide a multi-functionalmodule. For example, FIG. 7 illustrates a device package including twoelectronic devices, 100 a and 100 b, mounted in a side by sideconfiguration in the cavity 220. Although two devices are shown in FIG.7, it is to be appreciated that the invention is not so limited, andsome embodiments may include more than two devices mounted within asingle package. In addition, the invention is not limited to mountingthe electronic devices 100 a, 100 b in a side-by-side configuration, andother arrangements are also considered. For example, referring to FIG.8, there is illustrated another example in which two electronic devices,100 c and 100 d, are mounted within a single package in a stackedconfiguration. In one example, device 100 c may be flip chip mounted inthe package while device 100 d is stacked on device 100 c. Device 100 dmay be wire bonded using wires 126 to electrically connect the device100 d to contacts 114 a and vias 118 a leading to external pads 120 ausing wire bonding processes that are well known in the art.

As discussed above, the electronic device(s) mounted within a devicepackage according to various embodiments may include RFICs, MEMS devicessuch as SAW or BAW filters, pressure sensors or accelerometers, or anyof multiple other types of devices known in the art. The devices may beconstructed of silicon, gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP),or other semiconductors or combinations of materials. Combinations ofelectronic devices formed of different materials may be included inmulti-die packages according to some embodiments of the presentinvention.

In some embodiments, the electronic devices packaged together may becomplimentary devices such that a module having more complexfunctionality may be provided in a single package. Some examples ofcomplimentary devices that may be packaged together include, but are notlimited to, an amplifier and a filter, an amplifier and a switch, or thelike. Providing complimentary devices together in a single package mayhave numerous advantages including, for example, allowing for fastcommunication between the complimentary devices due to their proximity,and eliminating lengths of electrical connections, and their associatedpotential for heat generation and/or impedance losses, which mightotherwise be required to connect the devices. Furthermore, providing apackaged module may simplify the manufacturing process of connecting thepackaged devices to a printed circuit board, and may also facilitateproduction of a smaller overall package than could be provided if thesame devices were packaged separately.

According to another embodiment, various components and features mayalso be incorporated into the package along with the electronicdevice(s) 100. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, an electronicdevice 100 e may include cooling fins 214 mounted thereon. These coolingfins may facilitate the removal of heat from a heat generating device,such as, for example, a power amplifier, by providing a greater surfacearea from which heat may be dissipated by convective cooling. In anotherexample, holes 216 may be provided in base substrate 102 and/or capsubstrate 202 in order to allow heat to exit, or air to enter the cavity220. These holes 216 may be useful in embodiments where electronicdevices 100 a or 100 e may comprise, for example, a pressure sensor orother component which would benefit from being in fluid communicationwith the atmosphere external to the device package.

According to a further embodiment, a package may include two or morecavities sharing a single cavity cap. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 10, a package including multiple devices may be fabricated suchthat each device 100 a and 100 b is mounted in separate sub-cavities 220a and 220 b respectively. The sub-cavities may be separated by an“island” 225. Additional components may be mounted on island 225, suchas component 230 or may be fabricated in island 225, such as component235. Components 230 and/or 235 may be passive components such asresistors or capacitors, etc., or active components and may beelectrically connected to device 100 a and/or 100 b by, for example,wire bonding utilizing wires 240. Also as illustrated in FIG. 10,sub-cavity walls 310 may be vertically oriented, although they may alsobe angled at various angles. Each of sidewalls 310 need not be angled atthe same angle. The same applies for cavity sidewalls 110 and 210.

As discussed above, one or both of base substrate 102 and cap substrate202 may comprise a semiconductor material, such as, for example,silicon. In such examples, the semiconductor material may be doped withelectrically active dopant species, such as for example, boron orphosphorous, using techniques well known in the art. The addition ofelectrically active dopant species to the semiconductor material mayincrease the conductivity of the material. Providing an at leastpartially conductive package may have the advantage that the packageitself may function as a Faraday cage to retard the propagation ofelectromagnetic interference into the interior of the package where thisinterference might otherwise disrupt the operation of electronic devicesmounted therein. In another embodiment, a similar result may be achievedby forming a metallization layer (not shown) on any one or more ofsurfaces 108, 110, 208, and 210 within the cavity 220. Thismetallization layer may substantially cover the interior surface of thecavity 220, and thus similarly act as a shield against electromagneticinterference.

The optional provision of these or other additional components orfeatures in the device package may be incorporated into the method ofmanufacturing the device package in any of steps 302, 304 and 306discussed above with reference to FIG. 6. For example, processing thebase substrate wafer and/or cap substrate wafer (steps 302 and 304) mayinclude any additional processing needed to add features such asmetallization layers, holes 216, etc. Similarly, step 306 of mountingelectronic devices 100 within the recesses 112 of the base substrates102 may also include positioning and connecting any additionalcomponents, such as, for example, the cooling fins 214 discussed above.It is to be appreciated that process flow illustrated in FIG. 6 may alsobe modified to include additional steps to provide such features orcomponents, as would be recognized by those skilled in the art.

Referring again to FIG. 6, after the electronic device(s) 100, and anyother components have been mounted and connected on the base substrate102, the cap substrate 202 may be joined to the base substrate 102(steps 308 and 310), as discussed above, to complete the cavity 220 andform the device package. In one example, a bonding process may beselected to achieve hermetic sealing of the cavity 220. In anotherexample, the cavity may comprise a vacuum, or alternatively, may befilled with a gas, a passivation such as an oxide, or a polymer such asSUB. The joining of the cap substrate 202 to the base substrate 102 maybe done individually for each package or at the wafer level. Thus, asillustrated in FIG. 6, in one example, the method of manufacturing thedevice package includes step 308 of aligning the cap substrate waferwith the base substrate wafer, which may be achieved using, for example,alignment marks provided on the wafers, or other techniques known tothose skilled in the art. The two wafers may then be joined together(step 310) using any of the techniques that have been described above,or other techniques known to those of skill in the art. Wafer leveljoining of the cap substrate 202 to the base substrate 102 may haveseveral advantages over assembling each package individually, such asincreased assembly speed, reduced cost and a more easily scalablemanufacturing process.

According to one embodiment, the height, h1, of the base substrate 102,and/or height, h2, of the cap substrate 202 may be reduced prior to orsubsequent to the joining of the base substrate 102 to the cap substrate202. Again, this height reduction, or “wafer thinning” may be done foreach individual packaged device, or at the wafer level. Wafer thinning(step 312) may be done using techniques known in the art such as, forexample, wafer backgrinding. It is to be appreciated that step 312 mayinclude thinning of either or both of the base substrate wafer and thecap substrate wafer. In one example, the cap substrate wafer may bethinned such that a thickness, t1 (see FIG. 8), of a layer defined bysurfaces 206 and 208 (also referred to as a “membrane”) may be less thanabout 60 micrometers. Reduction in the thickness of the base and/or capsubstrates may be beneficial should a device package with a smalloverall height be desired, for example, for inclusion in an ultra-thinlaptop or cell phone. However, the thickness of the substrates should besufficient to provide adequate mechanical strength to ensure themechanical integrity of the package.

Still referring to FIG. 6, as discussed above, in one example, externalbond pads may be provided (step 314) to allow connection of the devicepackage to an external substrate or printed circuit board. In oneexample, the device package may be a land grid array package and step314 may include providing a plurality of conductive pads. In anotherexample, the device package may be a ball grid array package and step314 may include forming a plurality of conductive pads and attaching acorresponding plurality of solder balls to the conductive pads, toprovide the ball grid array.

It is to be appreciated that embodiments of a method of manufacturing adevice package according to the present invention are not limited to theprocess flow illustrated in FIG. 6. Rather, the steps may be performedin an order different from that illustrated, and steps may be added orremoved from the method. For example, as discussed above, any of theprocessing and assembly steps may be done at the individual device levelor at the wafer level, and step 316 of singulating the base substrateand cap substrate wafers may be done at any point in the process flow,as appropriate.

It is further to be appreciated that the embodiments of the electronicpackage illustrated in the figures and described above may be modified,as would be understood by one skilled in the art. For example, althoughseveral figures illustrate a package with the base substrate 102 and capsubstrate 202 having recesses 112, 212, respectively, that aresubstantially equally sized and which substantially coextensivelyoverlay one another, the invention is not so limited. In someembodiments the two recesses 112, 212 may be of different sizes from oneanother, and/or may be of different overall shapes from thoseillustrated in the figures. For example, one of the substrates and/orrecesses may be larger (e.g. wider or deeper) than the other. Somefactors that may play a role in sizing the different substrates mayinclude the material or materials from which the substrates may beformed, the requirements for providing different amounts of mechanicalstrength, and/or the capabilities of the manufacturing process for thesubstrates.

Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of thisinvention, it is to be appreciated various alterations, modifications,and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Suchalterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part ofthis disclosure, and are intended to be within the scope of theinvention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are byway of example only.

1. A package for electronic devices comprising: a first substratecomprising a first recess defined in a first surface of the firstsubstrate; and a second substrate comprising a second recess defined ina second surface of the second substrate; wherein the first surface ofthe first substrate is joined to the second surface of the secondsubstrate; and wherein the first recess substantially overlies thesecond recess to define a cavity formed by the first recess and thesecond recess.
 2. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firstrecess coextensively overlies the second recess.
 3. The package asclaimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of additionalrecesses defined in the second surface of the second substrate, thefirst recess substantially overlying the second recess and the pluralityof additional recesses.
 4. The package as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe first substrate comprises a semiconductor material.
 5. The packageas claimed in claim 1, wherein the second substrate comprises asemiconductor material.
 6. The package as claimed in claim 5, whereinthe semiconductor material comprises silicon.
 7. The package as claimedin claim 1, further comprising a first electronic device disposed withinthe cavity.
 8. The package as claimed in claim 7, wherein the firstelectronic device is flip-chip mounted to the first substrate.
 9. Thepackage as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a second electronicdevice disposed within the cavity.
 10. The package as claimed in claim7, wherein the first electronic device is a MEMS device.
 11. The packageas claimed in claim 1, wherein a height of the package is less thanabout 300 micrometers.
 12. The package as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe first surface of the first substrate is joined to the second surfaceof the second substrate with an adhesive.
 13. The package as claimed inclaim 1, wherein first surface of the first substrate is anodicallybonded to the second surface of the second substrate.
 14. A method ofmanufacturing a packaged electronic device, the method comprising:forming a first recess in a first substrate; forming a second recess ina second substrate; and attaching the first substrate to the secondsubstrate such that first recess and the second recess substantiallyoverly one another so as to define a cavity.
 15. The method as claimedin claim 14, further comprising mounting an electronic device in thesecond recess.
 16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein attachingthe first substrate to the second substrate includes aligning the firstsubstrate and the second substrate such that the electronic device isenclosed within the cavity.
 17. The method as claimed in claim 14,wherein attaching the first substrate to the second substrate includingbonding the first substrate to the second substrate with an adhesive.18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein attaching the firstsubstrate to the second substrate includes anodically bonding the firstsubstrate to the second substrate.
 19. The method as claimed in claim14, wherein forming the first recess includes forming a plurality offirst recesses in a first substrate wafer; and wherein forming thesecond recess includes forming a plurality of second recesses in asecond substrate wafer.
 20. The method as claimed in claim 19, whereinattaching the first substrate to the second substrate includes attachingthe first substrate wafer to the second substrate wafer.
 21. The methodas claimed in claim 20, further comprising mounting a respective one ofa plurality of electronic devices in each of the plurality of firstrecesses.
 22. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprisingsingulating the attached first and second wafers to provide a pluralityof individual device packages.